Ceiling mounted air-conditioning apparatus



May 19, 1953 w. F. BORGERD 2,633,757

CEILING MOUNTED AIR-CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1951 .54Z;z7/enf07'/ William F award Patented May 19, 1953 UNITED STATES "PATENTOFFICE William :F. Boi gerd, Evansville, I-nd., assignor toInternational .Harvester Company, a corporation of New JerseyApplication Maiyfi 1951-, Ser-ial No. 224,785

10 Claims. 1

This-invention relatesgenerally toair conditioningapparatus and moreparticularly to a unit adapted to be mounted in the ceilingof a room.

.Many buildings were originally constructed with no provisions for airconditioning so that to equip such a building with a centralized aircondition unit, it is necessary to install individual air ducts to thevarious rooms of the building. Elince such installations entailconsiderable expense, many home owners have purchased package type unitswhich 'do not require duct systems, such as the window type unit or theconsole-type unit. Althoughthese units are usually :quite compact, theystill obstruct usable noor'spaceand aportion of awindow. For .thisreason, a unit adapted to be mounted in a room ceiling has proved tobedesirable'since it obstructs no part of the Y floorspace :and can bemade an attractivepartofthe-ceiling. "As is well known in the art, apart of the water which is held bywarm air will condense'on thesurfaces. ofithe cooling elementof .arefrigeration system whenithe airpasses over the cold surfaces thereof and is cooled below its "dewpoint. A ceiling mounted unit must'haveieffi cient means for removingall thewater that condenses in order to prevent, the waterfromrunningonto the ceiling oridripping onto the floor therebelow. One object ofthepresentinvention is toprovide a ceiling mountedair conditioning unitwhich is complete in itself and 'does not require air ductsto individualrooms.

Another object of the'in'vention.istto provide a unit of thecharactermentioned with simple and novel-means for completely removingall the condensate therefrom.

Another object ofthe invention is to-provid'e a unit of the charactermentionedwithacasing which is adapted to be removably secured within anopening provided, in a ceiling of aroom.

Another object ofthe invention is to'provide a unit of the charactermentioned with atop cover which extends into an attic above the room andremovably secured to the unit in order to provide access into theunitior servicing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unit of the charactermentioned with a coolin element having tubes which areiformed intoslightly tipped U-bends from which condensate will drain into troughspositioned therebelow.

Another object of the invention is to provide the tubes of the coolingelement with vertical fins having inclined ribs formed thereon so thatthe water which condenses on thefins will be drained to the edgesthereof by the ribs into troughs positioned therebelow.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unit of-the charactermentioned with an air outlet surrounded byan air inlet whereby the airbeing cooled is thoroughly circulated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unit of the charactermentioned with an inturned flange member over which the air from. thecooling element will pass so that any moisture inthe air will be caughtby the flange and. drained into a trough for disposal.

Another object .of the invention is to provide a unit or the charactermentioned which is small, compact andlight in weight so that it can beeasily raised from the roomiloor-to the ceiling.

The foregoing, together with other objects advantages of the invention,will be apparent to those skilled in theart from a consideration of thefollowing adescription of the embodiment shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

l is a vertical sectional view through a ceiling mounted'airconditioning unit embodyingfcatures of the invention.

Fig.2 is a sectionalview of the unit taken along line 22 of Fig. 1.

.Fig. 3 i'san enlarged fragmentary sectional view-taken along line3-"Joi Fig. 2.

Fig. dis an enlargedfragmentary sectional View taken on line li of Fig.2 showing one end of the evaporator in detail.

Referring to .the drawing for a detailed description of the invention,an air conditioning unit is designated generally by reference numoralI0. The unit comprises a circular shaped casing l l which is disposedwithin an opening l2 provided in the ceiling Id of a room. The ceilingis located between a room and an attic and comprises suitable beams Itand a plaster or other suitable finishing material it. The openinglz. isencased by short'beam members it, El, [8, and-l9 with beam members 2%;and 2d posh tioned adjacent beams I! and E9 respectively for additionalstrength.

The unit l'ilcompr'ises a circular shaped outer casing I I having thelower edge bent inwardly to form a .continuous'groove ortrough 22 aroundthe-casing. ,Spaced apart L-shaped brackets 23 arezpr'ovided forsecuring the casing H to the ceiling. [3. Each bracket 23 has avertically disposed leg '24 removably-secured to the upper edge of thecasing H byscrew 25 and a horizontally-disposed leg26 resting on aresilient mount 21 and secured thereto by a bolt 28. A circular rim '29.is secured to the lower edge of the casing Hand is provided with anoutturned flange 3t which fits against'the plaster material 55.Removably secured to the rim -29 arecircularshapedlouvers 3| which areslightly inclined in order to direct the air currents into the casing 3II and to conceal the interior of the unit from the room.

Fixedly secured to the inner surface of casing H are spaced apart braces32 which extend inwardly toward the center of the casing. Secured to thebraces 32 is a circular-shaped inner casing 33 having a lower end 34which extends below the louvers 3! and fiares outwardly. The upper edgeof the inner casing 33 is bent inwardly and downwardly to form acontinuous trough 35 therearound, then upwardly and outwardly to form anoutturned flange 35 which terminates above the trough. Fixedly securedto the outer surface of the casing 33 is a continuous trough 56 locatedopposite the trough 22. Centrally disposed within the inner casing 33 isan electric motor 37 having an armature shaft 38 to which apropeller-type fan 39 is secured. The motor 3! is secured in position bya collar 40 having radially extending braces 4| secured to the innersurface of the inner casing 33. Removably secured to the casing 33 arecircular formed louvers 42 which are slightly tilted in order to concealthe interior of the casing and direct the air from the casing into theroom.

A dome-shaped cover 43 fits over the upper edge of outer casing H and isprovided with an outturned flange 44 which is fastened to thehorizontally extending legs 26 of brackets 23 by screws 45. woven glassor similar material, is secured to the inner side of the cover. Thespace enclosed between outer casing II and inner casing 33 provides anair inlet passageway 41 whereas the space enclosed by inner casing 33provides an air outlet passageway 48. Removably secured within inletpassageway 41 is a refrigerant evaporator 49 comprising a continuoustube 50 having an inlet 5| and outlet 52. The tube 59 is formed intoseveral horizontal disposed circular-shaped U-bends 53 joined at one endby loops 54 so that the refrigerant will enter inlet 51, circulatethrough the several U-bends 53 and loops 54 and then be dischargedthrough outlet 52.

Spaced evenly around the U-bends 53 are verti- {A cally disposed coolingfins 55 which are fixedly secured to the bends at substantially rightangles thereto. As best seen in Fig. l, the U-bends 53 are tilteddownwardly toward the troughs 22 and 55 so that any condensate formedthereon will be drained toward the outer edges of the evaporator 49 andcaught by the troughs. Fins 55 are provided with shallow invertedV-shaped ribs 51 having downwardly sloping legs 58 and 59. As best seenin Fig. 3, each side of the fins 55 is provided with ribs 51 so that thewater which condenses on the fins will drain along the downwardlysloping legs of the ribs 51 and drip into the troughs 22 and 55. Outletsand GI are provided for troughs 22 and 56 respectively which connectinto a drain tube 62. The tube 62 also connects to trough) 35 so thatwater, which drains thereinto in a manner explained hereafter, will beremoved. The tube 62 slopes downwardly away from the evaporator 49 andmay be joined to a suitable waste pipe (not shown) in order that thewater collected in the troughs 35, 2'2 and 55 will be removed.

The inlet 5] and outlet 52 of evaporator 49 are connected to a suitablecompressor and condenser (not shown) which may be located in the attic,the room or other suitable place. As is well known in the art, therefrigerant will be delivered to the evaporator 49 in a liquid form at alow pressure and while circulating through A sound-deadening material46, of n 4 the tube 50, the refrigerant will absorb heat from the airbeing passed thereover. The fins 55 have a large surface area so thatthey will absorb heat from the air and produce good heat transferbetween the airand the refrigerant. With motor 31 running, fan 39 willpull room air through louvers 3| into inlet passageway 41, overevaporator 49 and out louvers 42 by way of outlet passageway 48. As thewarm room air strikes the cold surfaces of the evaporator 49, the airwill be cooled to its dew point and moisture will condense on theevaporator. The water which condenses on the U-bends 53 will drip intotroughs 22 and 5!, and the water which collects on the fins 55 will bedrained along ribs 51 into said troughs. As previously explained, tube62 will carry the water to a suitable waste pipe.

As the air is pulled from inlet passageway 41 into outlet passageway 48by fan 33, it will be forced over outturned flange 35. If any waterdroplets are carried upwardly from the evaporator 49 by the air, thewater will be caught by the fiange 35 and drained into the trough 35from where it will be removed by tube 62. The sound-deadening material45 will also absorb any water carried by the air and this water willdrain back to trough 22. The shape of the cover 43 insures drainage backto the trough 22 since it curves downwardly toward the trough. As isapparent from the preceding description, the structure assures effectiveremoval of condensate so that there will be no danger of water drippinginto the room below or onto the ceiling 13. This is an important featureof the invention since a ceiling mounted unit of the type illustratedmust have provisions for preventing damage to the ceiling by waterdrippage.

The unit it may be installed by raising it from the room below and thenattaching brackets 23 to the casing H. Cover 43 may be removed from theunit [8 by working from the attic above the ceiling [3 if servicing isrequired while the unit it! is secured to the ceiling. Louvers 3| and 42may be removed if access from below is desired for servicing and oilingelectric motor 37. Suitable controls (not shown) may be provided foroperating the fan and refrigeration system. It is contemplated that theunit iii be installed in the most centralized room of a building. Byopening the doors between the rooms to be cooled and lowering the topwindow sash slightly in the rooms, some of the warm air will be pushedout of stagnant areas. The fan 39 will draw the warm air through theupper portions of the room into inlet passageway ll. The cold air fromthe unit It will be discharged through louvers 42 and will travel alongthe floors of the rooms and crowd the warm air to the ceiling. In thisway the air in several rooms will be properly cooled and the circulationof the air will prevent objectionable drafts or stagnant areas in therooms.

It is to be understood that the embodiment shown is only forillustrative purposes and various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the scope of the invention. For example,the evaporator il) could be made in sections for convenience of handlingor the louvers 3i and 42 could be made in any geometric arrangement suchas a square or rectangle.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a ceiling mounted airconditioning unit is provided which is light in weight and small insize. It can be easily assembled in a ceiling and access there.

into is provided for servicing. No cooling water is required and thecondensate is effectively removed so that the hazard of water leakage iseliminated. The proper circulation of room air is assured without thenecessity of air circulating ducts. The unit is simple in constructionand economical in operation since only a small amount of air is wastedout of the windows.

While the invention is shown in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, and it is desiredthat only such limitations be placed thereupon as are specifically setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a heat exchange unit mounted in a room ceiling, a casing providedwith interconnecting inlet and outlet passageways, a refrigerantevaporator comprising a tube formed into a series of U-bends with finssecured thereto, troughs positioned under each edge of said evaporator,said U-bends tilted downwardly toward said troughs so that condensateformed thereon will drip into said troughs, and means for removing thecondensate from said troughs.

2. In a heat exchange unit mounted in a room ceiling, a casing providedwith interconnecting inlet and outlet passageways, a refrigerantevaporator comprising a tube to which are secured spaced apart fins,troughs positioned below the edges of said fins, ribs formed on saidfins along which condensate will drain and drip into said troughs, andmeans for removing the condensate from said troughs.

3. In a heat exchange unit mounted in a room ceiling, a casing providedwith interconnecting inlet and outlet passageways, a cooling elementpositioned in said inlet passageway, a fan positioned in said outletpassageway which pulls room air into said inlet passageway over saidcooling element and discharges it through said outlet passageway, and aprotruding flange positioned between said inlet and outlet passagewaysso that moisture retained in the air after passing over said coolingelement will be removed by the flange as the air is circulated thereoverby said fan.

4. In a heat exchange unit mounted in a room ceiling, a casing providedwith interconnecting inlet and outlet passageways, a refrigerantevaporator positioned in said inlet passageway, said evaporatorcomprising a tube to which vertical fins are secured, said fins havinginclined ribs formed thereon so that condensate will drain therealong tothe edges of the fins, fan means for circulating room air through saidinlet passageway and out said outlet passageway, and means for removingmoisture from the air after it has passed over said evaporator.

5. In a heat exchange unit mounted in a room ceiling, a casing providedwith interconnecting inlet and outlet passageways, a refrigerantevaporator positioned in said inlet passageway, said evaporator havingfins which are provided with inclined ribs along which condensate willdrain to the edges of the fins, troughs positioned below said edges forcollecting and removing the condensate, fan means for circulating roomair through said inlet passageway, over said evaporator and out saidoutlet passageway, and means for removing moisture from the air after ithas passed over said evaporator.

6. A heat exchange unit comprising a casing having an air passagewaytherethrough, a refrigerant evaporator positioned in said passagewaywith means for circulating room air therethrough, said evaporatorcomprising a tube formed into a series of slightly tilted U-bends,

vertical fins secured to said tube which are provided with downwardlysloping ribs along which condensate will drain to the edges of the fins,and means for collecting and removing the condensate as it drips fromsaid evaporator.

7. A heat exchange unit comprising a casin having an air passagewaytherethrough, a refrigerant evaporator positioned in said passagewaywith means for circulating room air thereover, said evaporatorcomprising a tube having vertical fins secured thereto which areprovided with downwardly sloping ribs along which condensate will drainto the edges of the fins, and troughs positioned under the edges of saidfins for collecting and removing said condensate.

8. A heat exchange unit comprising a casing having an air passagewaytherethrough, a refrigerant evaporator positioned in said passagewaywith means for circulating room air thereover, said evaporatorcomprising a tube having vertical fins secured thereto which areprovided with downwardly sloping ribs along which condensate will drainto the edges of the fins, troughs positioned under the edges of saidfins for collecting and removing said condensate, and a protrudingflange over which the air is circulated after passing over saidevaporator so that moisture retained in the air will be removedtherefrom by the flange.

9. A heat exchange unit comprising a casing having an air passagewaytherethrough, a refrigerant evaporator positioned in said passagewaywith means for circulating room air thereover, said evaporator comprisina tube having vertical fins secured thereto which are provided withdownwardly sloping ribs along which condensate will drain to the edgesof the fins, troughs positioned under the edges of said fins forcollecting condensate, a protruding flange over which the air iscirculated after passing over said evaporator so that moisture retainedby the air will be removed therefrom by the flange and collected in atrough positioned therebelow, and a drain tube connected to said troughsfor removing water from the unit.

10. A heat exchange unit comprising a casing having an air passagewaytherethrough, a refrigerant evaporator positioned in said passage waywith means for circulating room air thereover, said evaporatorcomprising a tube having vertical fins secured thereto which areprovided with downwardly sloping ribs along which condensate will drainto the edges of the fins, troughs positioned under the edges of saidfins for 001- lecting and removing said condensate, a protruding flangeover which the air is circulated after passing over said evaporator sothat moisture retained in the air will be removed therefrom by theflange, and a removable cover provided for said casing, said coverhaving a sound-deadening material secured on the inner surface thereofwhich will absorb moisture from the air after it passes over saidevaporator.

WILLIAM F. BORGERD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,796,568 Mertzanoff Mar. 17, 1931 2,212,748 Parker Aug. 27,1940 2,239,848 Jackson Apr. 29, 1941 2,318,393 Honerkamp May 4, 1943

